French designer Ora-Ito and real estate entrepreneurs have teamed up with a new concept of luxury housing and resorts around the globe. The new brand is called LH&R-Luxury Houses & Resorts, a Paris based development-design joint venture. Advanced design will be delivered through the O-BY ORA-ITO brand. The O team will be the lifestylers of the new generation to meet people’s expectations for their living and working spaces. Leila Othman, O director and Partner said “People want a different lifestyle, a design that opens their space and that is environmental friendly. I believe that O is an answer to such expectations”. The developments are based on four design pillars through “the O collection”: Urban Loft, Natural Chic, Pop Fun and Neo Barocco. Not sure if I would like to live in the last one though… Neo Barocco, the name reminds me of the pompous experiments of Jaime Hayon, Studio Job and other raiders of the Vulgarism movement. Don’t know of it is good for Ora-Ito to go down that lane… Anyway, it will be interesting to follow the new venture.

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tags technorati : ora ito lifestyle development luxury resorts

Andra bloggar om: lyx, utveckling, boende, hus, semester, trender

Saab just launched the 9X BioHybrid concept car at the Geneva Motor Show the other day. Regular readers of David Report are probably aware of my somewhat anxious thoughts on how the Saab design crew would be able to develop the Saab heritage into relevant design for the future (read here and here). One of my critical standpoints was a risk (according to me) that the originality of the Saab brand would be smoothed out. I actually have to admit that the Saab 9X is a bold statement and actually quite good car design as well (the two don’t always go together, unfortunately…). One major problem in the car industry of today is that the designers sometimes seems to live in a parallel universe. A lot of car design is definitely not that attractive, and still way to masculine. With the 9X, Saab is doing a nice convergence of it’s Scandinavian heritage and the current design trend of the 00’s. It’s really stylish (and I don’t mean just decoration). I also like the turbine rimes which reminds of the Saab history as aircraft producer. The concept is premium and is aimed at the Mini, the BMW 1-series and the Audi 3-series among others.

If we take a look at the “green” side of the car it’s interesting to see how Saab is working with embedded solar power panels in the roof and active aerodynamics.

Maybe Saab will be able to grab the unoccupied design category among cars after all? The new 9X is definitely a step in the right direction. It’s even a bit iconic. What do you think?

Take a look at Autoblog for more images.

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tags technorati : saab 9x biopower car concept geneva motor show design

Andra bloggar om: saab, design, 9x, biohybrid, bilar, trafik

A few days ago Tata motors presented Tata Nano, the worlds cheapest car, also called “People’s car” or “One lakh” (which stands for 100 000 rupees). It’s like a revival of the ideas behind the Volkswagen (yeep, that’s means people’s car in German) was launched back in the 40’s in Germany. An inexpensive car for the masses.

The launch of the Tata Motors People’s Car is both good and controversial. Some questions pop up in my head.

• Is it a capitalizing on the country’s expanding middle class - or a transportation solution for the big masses?

• What will happen with the climate changes when millions of new people (in Asia, Africa, Latin America etc) will start to drive cars?

• If you think that is bad, isn’t it double standard when we in Western countries deny others a development we ourselves had the opportunity to take part in earlier?

• Could it be a push forward for other car brands that smaller engines create less carbon dioxide?

What do you think about Tata Motors People’s car - the Tata Nano?

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tags technorati : tata motors tata nano peoples car transportation india one lakh cars

Andra bloggar om: bil, bilar, bilism, indien, tata motors, miljö, klimathotet, tata nano

Extravigator is a new community in beta mode where “sophisticated travellers go to discuss first class experiences”. I believe a lot in this kind of trustworthy sharing of knowledge. Who will ever trust an ad from a hotel or a restaurant? Better to listen to people who actually have experienced the place. There are 12 different topics which vary from Top Hotels and Dining Out to Luxury Rail Roads and Destinations. The future success of Extravigator of course has to do with number and quality of members that will share their experiences and knowledge. It will be interesting to follow.

Thanks to Juen Bigsby for the tip.

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tags technorati : extravigator travel luxury commuting community

Andra bloggar om: lyx, resor, community, restauranger, hotell

Designboost is a new event in Malmö which I’m organising together with Peer Eriksson. The City of Malmö and Region Skåne are involved as interested persons. Designboost is a completely novel concept on the Swedish design market. It will be annual, different, international and will penetrate questions of current interest on design in a broad perspective and put them on the agenda in the society at large. Designboost takes place October 17 – November 17 and consists of three different parts; Boost meetings (formerly known as workshops), Boost chats (formerly known as lectures) and a Boost show (formerly known as exhibition). The theme for year one is sustainable design. The Boost meetings take place at the two top floors of Turning Torso Skyscraper by Santiago Calatrava with an invited group of participants while the Boost chats and the Boost show are open for the public. Participants include Kristina Dryza, Satyendra Pakahle, Jennifer Leonard, Eero Koivisto and Brent Richards among a lot of other creative and interesting people (check the current list here.)

It’s important to look upon things from a new perspective and be given a push forward, which is exactly what the word boost means. When it comes to sustainable design it’s likely that things need to be questioned. Since the world is constantly changing and the maps rewritten it’s impossible to sit around and wait. We can shape our world and create a more sustainable future with the help of design. We can also use it to make tomorrow’s society. A greater knowledge of design gives greater force to development. With Designboost we wish to strengthen design as a mean of competition.

Further info about Designboost in the press release here.

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tags technorati : designboost event malmo sustainable design design

Andra bloggar om: designboost, design, hållbar utveckling, samhälle, konferens, trender

A week ago New York-based fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg together with internet based design company JohnLook.com launched a collection of limited edition of personal business cards and correspondence cards, exclusively for Sweden. The design is based on Diane von Furstenberg’s classic vintage print from the 70’s called ”Diamond Cubes”. The cards can be seen as a lifestyle accessory especially designed to boost private networking and are only for sale from August 23 until November 23.

“I have always been impressed by Swedish designs. I am flattered that one of my prints is included in this portfolio”, says Diane von Furstenberg about the partnership. The Diane von Furstenberg cards are part of the JohnLook.com Limited Edition series with interesting designers. Keep your eyes open for further collaborations.

In general the business idea behind JohnLook.com is interesting. It’s sort of DIY graphic design. The customers register themselves and in that way get their personal info on the cards. In total you will find 40 basic graphic designs to play with. A simple and fast way to create personal and individual business cards (if your best friend isn’t a graphic designer…).

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tags technorati : johnLook.com diane von furstenberg dvf business cards limited edition graphic design

Andra bloggar om: grafik, design, diane von furstenberg, johnlook.com

The New York supreme design store Moss has just opened a second store in Los Angeles. 3500 square feet of cool optic white space bifurcated by a ten ton steel beam running straight from the door to the sales station. The “Moss Angeles” store is situated at Melrose Avenue near the mouth of Melrose Place with prominent neighbors like Paul Smith Big Pink, the Pacific Design Center Blue Whale, Marc Jacobs and APC.

The star of the show in LA for now is a fire-sculpted by Dutch designer Maarten Baas. The piano is part of Baas’ Where There’s Smoke collection for Moss (seen above). You will also find rational design from the sixties represented by the 606 shelving system by Dieter Rahms mixed with design-art from designers like Studio Job, Campana brothers and Tord Boontje.

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tags technorati : moss moss angeles los angeles design-art marten baas

Andra bloggar om: design, los angeles, moss, mossangeles, butik

Marriott International is partnering with Ian Schrager, who invented the concept of the boutique hotel 23 years ago, to create a new brand of as many as 100 hotels that will combine the personal, intimate, individualized and unique lodging experience that Ian Schrager created with Marriott’s operational expertise on a global scale.

According to Ian Schrager, the brand’s unifying aesthetic will be in its approach and attitude to the modern lifestyle rather than its appearance, with design and architecture derived from the scale, location and feel of the individual properties. “The brand will be about an attitude, about a feeling rather than a look,” he said. “Sophisticated public spaces, finishes, design and details will serve the experience not drive it. People today are sophisticated and they understand good design, quality, originality and commitment to excellence. They will not accept something derivative and they want the ethos and soul of a hotel to be authentic and have character”.

J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International says about the collaboration with Ian Schrager: “Nobody has done what Ian has been able to do with his hotels time and again, and he is the perfect partner to help us create and launch a new, modern genre of hotel”.

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tags technorati : ian schrager marriott boutique hotels hospitality

Andra bloggar om: hotell, ian schrager, marriott, designhotell

I recently read a very interesting article in the Nussbaum on Design blog today about the different approach to risk from business executives compared to designers. Bruce Nussbaum is quoting Diego Rodriguez and Ryan Jacoby from Rotman magazine who wrote an original article named Embracing risk to grow and innovate.

Risk is an interesting topic and the different way business people and designers is dealing with it is worth a thought:

“Risk, to business people, is something to be avoided. It’s an assessment of the downside of taking an action. It’s bad. In B-School, you are taught to break down a problem (everything is a “problem”) into its parts, and solve them. Wrestle them to the ground.

Risk to a designer, is “a measure of the upside” of taking an action. It’s an opportunity. It’s good. In D-School, you see risks as options to be embraced, pondered, analyzed, and–above all–chosen. You like risk because it gives you options you can choose from.”

Why is it like this? I think because when you start a design process it is out of a white paper. Everything is possible, both in a positive and negative way. But if you have made your homework well, a design process includes a couple of steps that actually reduce the original risk. They can differ depending on person involved but definition of problem/solution, ethnography, a serious brief, prototyping/adjustments and communication (preferably the product is telling a story itself) are important parts.

Bruce Nussbaum says that the CEOs has a lot to learn about design:

“It is far riskier to come up with a new technology in the labs, make it into a product and then throw it at consumers than it is to first start with your consumers to find out what they really need and want (the essence of design). “

One main reason why our world is crowded with bad design is the lack of knowledge (and interest) from business executives of how to create a solid design brief and run a efficient design process. Someone has to do some homework…

UPDATE: Jens Hilgenstock sent me this link which is some interesting reading on the subject.

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tags technorati : design process design development rotman magazine bruce nussbaum risk

Andra bloggar om: designstrategi, produktutveckling, riskreducering, designprocess

During a period of just five years Apple has sold 100 million iPods. At the same time 2,5 billion songs, 50 million TV-shows and 1,3 million movies have been sold from iTunes. 4000 iPod accessories have been released and actually 70% of the new cars at the US market prepared for iPod connection. Good work Steve! It is easy to understand why Apple took away the word computer from their company name. Now I’m are looking forward to see the figures of iPhone sales over the coming years.

Thanks to Beta Alfa.

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tags technorati : apple steve jobs ipod iphone

Andra bloggar om: apple, ipod, steve jobs, iphone